SLATE: Kansas State football is ranked. Really.

Nine months ago, there were still people convinced that Kansas State football was dead. After all, you can’t replace a Hall of Fame coach with some guy from FCS.

Well, don’t look now, but after three games our man Chris Klieman has the Wildcats ranked. Sure, it’s only #25, and sure, it’s just the coaches poll, but K-State gets to walk around with a number next to its name for at least a week and probably two. (The Cats just missed making the AP Top 25, where they’re the top team amongst the Also Receiving Votes gaggle.)

Of course, if you’re getting enough attention to get votes, you’re probably getting attention elsewhere too. Like so:

Matt Murschel of the Orlando Sentinel names the five most surprising teams of the fall thus far, and guess who’s on the list?

A couple of power ranking articles: Rob Wolkenbrod of Fansided CFB has K-State 7th, but we can’t take him seriously because he still has Kansas 10th and a team which is even worse at punt returns than K-State ranked 6th. No, the stunner here is that the Oklahoman’s Berry Tramel, a true professional if there ever was one, has K-State slotted in the silver medal position.

Back home, Kellis Robinett pitches his awards and grades for Saturday’s win at the Eagle, and lauds the defense for a strong performance. At the Mercury, Ryan Black has quotes from Mississippi State head coach Joe Moorhead, who was quite complimentary of the Wildcats.

Soccer

Cats win! K-State posted a 2-0 win over Tulsa at Buser Family Park yesterday. Two minutes after halftime, Silke Bonnen crossed to Katie Cramer on a corner kick, and Cramer headed the eventual game-winner home. A little over 10 minutes later, goalkeeper Rachel Harris cleared a long ball which Laramie Hall was able to chase down behind the entire Golden Hurricane defense. Hall then beat Tulsa keeper Mica Mackay one-on-one to give K-State an insurance tally. The goals were the third of the season for both Cramer and Hall, the shutout on four saves was the first for Harris as a Wildcat, and the assist for Harris was the first goalkeeper assist in Wildcat history.

Next up: the Cats host BYU on Saturday at 7:00. That game will be available on ESPN+, which you can sign up for here if you haven’t yet, and on KMAN.

Golf

After day one at the Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational at Colbert Hills, K-State’s women held the lead by two strokes over North Texas. Niamh McSherry was the individual leader at 3-under 141, three shots ahead of UNT’s Patricia Sinolungan and New Mexico State’s Dominique Galloway. Wildcat Reid Isaac was tied for fourth at one-over. Tulsa, Kansas, Rutgers, Texas State, Texas-Arlington, Central Arkansas, Florida Gulf Coast, and UMKC round out the field.

The third and final round got underway at 8:00 this morning, and at even par through three holes McSherry’s lead is now two strokes over Galloway. The team has extended its lead to three shots, however. Isaac, one-over on the day, remains tied for fourth.

Things are not so rosy for the men, who limp into today’s second round of the Golfweek Conference Challenge in Cedar Rapids, Ia., in fifteenth place out of sixteen teams. The Cats are 17 strokes off the pace set by leaders Ball State, and only Jakob Eklund, who shot a 1-under 71, is in the top 20 individually. He’s five shots back of leader Zan Luka Stirn of Arkansas State. The second round will just be getting underway as we publish.

Bring on the Cats has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Bring on the Cats and SB Nation may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. For more information, see our guiding principles.